Sweating it Out
by Wendymypooh
Summary: Teaspoon thinks time in the Sweat Lodge is just the thing Jimmy needs to sort out his demons. Story #21 in my Moments series.


Jimmy Hickok watched as Teaspoon Hunter poured cold water over his head. He felt as if he was on fire. His long johns were soaked with perspiration, his throat burned with thirst, and the smoke from the fire tickled his nose. He didn't understand why he was the only one Teaspoon had dragged into the sweat lodge. Kid was the one who had started the fight between them, when he had punched him in town, after Longley had called him out.

He knew what he was doing when he stepped out of Tompkins store to face off with Longley. When a man calls you out, you accept the challenge, and face off with him, regardless of whether you've done it before or not. Otherwise you would be considered a coward. He could be called a lot of things, but a coward wasn't one of them.

Kid stepping in like he did, and knocking him out, had only temporarily avoided him facing off with Longley. A gunfighter like Longley wasn't going to let his embarrassing him go without seeking some sort of retribution. Jimmy rather have had done with the situation and not have to watch his back every time he left the PX station.

"You've gotten yourself all fired up in knots over this fellow Longley,"

"I told you Teaspoon. He insulted my mama," Jimmy unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt, hoping it would cool him down a little.

"I know." Teaspoon sighed. "Full of demons, ain't ya?"

Jimmy didn't know how to respond to the question. Images flashed through his mind of the day his ma had died. He felt again how small and powerless he had been to do anything about it. He had vowed to never let anyone make him feel that way again, and that's why he had to stand up to Longley. He would rather die standing up for himself, than die doing nothing.

Teaspoon watched the emotions flit across Jimmy's face in response to his question. Hurt…anger. "You're going to have to find another way to get them out. Hickok, if human beings were meant to fight every time we take umbrage, we'd all have leathery skins, a lot longer teeth, and maybe one or two horns sticking out of the top of our heads. Son, you gotta learn control."

Jimmy nodded, hoping that if he showed Teaspoon he was taking his advice to heart, that the older man would have pity on him and let him leave the sweat lodge

"Sweating like this can drive those demons away. May seem a puzzlement, but sometimes it takes a hot place to cool a man's fire."

Jimmy gaped at him. Was Teaspoon serious? How could being in a place as hot as the sweat lodge cool anyone down? He felt like he was on fire. He felt like something was pressing against his chest making it hard for him to breathe, "A body can't breathe in here."

"No, but the soul sure can," Teaspoon let out another sigh.

"Why? Why do you always have to talk so crazy Teaspoon?" Jimmy exclaimed, "I'm talking about breathing! Air! There ain't none in here!"

"Relax, boy." Teaspoon fanned Jimmy's face with some feathers. "Breathe. You gotta concentrate. Slow and easy. That's it."

Jimmy tried to do as Teaspoon directed, but he found himself only growing panicked as it got harder for him to breathe. "I am concentrating!"

"Good. Try to relax."

Jimmy climbed unsteadily to his feet, his feverish head swimming as he did so. "I am relaxed!"

"It don't look like it."

Before Jimmy could respond again, he felt darkness close in around him. He toppled over onto the furs, much to Teaspoon's surprise.

"Huh, that's better."

Teaspoon closed his eyes, determined to make good use of his own time in the sweat lodge. Letting go of his concern for the hotheaded young man wasn't easy. Hickok seemed determined to meet his maker before he was out of his teens. Hickok reminded him of himself at that age. He had been cocky and arrogant too. He had made mistakes; some of them painful, some not so much, but all of them had hard learned lessons attached to them. He was hoping that by sharing his own experiences with the riders, he could help them avoid making the same costly mistakes he had made at their age.


End file.
